Impulse motored sounding ornaments



1957 A. P. BALDUMAN E MOTORED sounnmc ORNAMENTS IMPULS Filed June 16, 1955 United States Patent i IMPULSE MOTORED SOUNDIN G ORNAMENTS Agapito P. Balduman, Washington, D. C.

Application June 16, 1955, Serial No. 515,883

,9 Claims. (Cl. 340-392) This invention relates to sources of power for small devices where intermittent impulses are desired and has for its object to provide means for releasing power in separate impulses and for regulating the interval between successive impulses. The invention has application in advertising, amusement, adornment and the like. An application is chosen from the art of adornment for describing the invention, because of the simplicity of this particular application. In the accompanying drawing are shown suitable ways of constructing mechanism to carry out this application, which serve also to illustrate its use in other applications.

Figure 1 shows a metal bell in vertical section, enclosing mechanism for exerting an impulse on a bell clapper.

Figure 2 indicates with dotted lines an imitation bell, t

which may be formed of a plastic, enclosing the same clapper actuating mechanism but having a gong to be struck by the clapper.

Figure 3 shows the same imitation bell and gong, but with a modification of the clapper actuating mechanism.

Figure 4 shows again the imitation bell and gong, but with a further modification of the mechanism.

Figure 5 is a sectional view at right angles to that of Figure 1 taken on line 55 to illustrate in front elevation a preferred form of the bimetallic element.

In this application a number of bells, each enclosing the actuating mechanism, may be connected in parallel at intervals along a. flexible wire conductor after the manner of the miniature electric light bulbs suited to festooning among the branches of a Christmas tree. Since each bell contains its independent mechanism, the bells of a set sound in a pleasing random way, avoiding a monotonous pattern of sounding. Obtaining a pleasing effect is further served by employing bells or gongs having a range of difierent tones.

The simplest form of the invention is in Figs. 1 and 2, where the clapper actuating means is a temperature responsive bimetal blade of the snap acting type. Such blades are known in many forms, some dependent for their operation on change of the surrounding temperature while others are adapted to being heated by passing an electric current through them. The latter form is commonly employed as a current limiting switch and is provided with contact points for interrupting the current when this exceeds a certain strength. It is the latter form which is employed here. The construction and operation for carrying out this application will be described first with reference to Figs. 1 and 2 interchangeably since the enclosed mechanism is the same in these two figures.

The metal bell 5 (Fig. 1) encloses the clapper impelling means and regulating means which are built upon bracket 6. The bracket is then secured in the bell by bolt 7 and nut 8, the body of the bolt showing outside the bell and its head showing inside, as pointed to by the two index lines leading from numeral 7 in Figure 1. The bolt is hollow and has conductor 9 running through it, separated from the metal bolt by the insulation 10. The bi- Liv 2,817,080 Patented Dec. 17, 1957 metal blade 11 (Fig. 2) is secured to the bracket by rivet 12 and hangs downward, bearing the clapper 13 at its free lower end. A contact point 14 is mounted on blade 11 and faces a similar contact point 15 mounted at the end of conductor 9.

Blade 11, in the position shown, is about to snap into the position indicated by dotted line 16 (Fig. 1), impelling the clapper to strike the bell. In snapping to that position blade 11 throws point 14 into contact with point 15. Their position in contact is not shown in the drawing to avoid confusion of lines, but is readily understood. Current can now flow by way of conductor 9, across the contact points, through blade 11 and by way of bracket 6 and bolt 7. Nut 17 (Fig. 2) provides for connection to an outside supply circuit, as indicated by the curl 18. Any suitable means may serve for connecting conductor 9 also, as indicated at curl 19.

The bimetal blade 11 is heated by the current passing through it until it snaps back to the position shown in solid lines, throwing point 14 away from point 15, interrupting the current. Blade 11 now cools until it snaps again to position 16, striking the bell. With suitable design of blade 11 and its surroundings, the heating and cooling phases may be regulated so as to give the desired time interval between strokes of the clapper. For the time required in the heating phase is dependent on the electrical resistance, hence chiefly on the dimensions, of blade 11 and on the voltage driving current through it. With suitable dimensions, a low voltage transformer taking its power from the common domestic lighting circuit will cause the blade to snap and interrupt the current in two or three seconds. The time required in the cooling phase is dependent chiefy on the temperature of the air in contact with the blade and hence on the circulation of air over its surfaces. If isolated from air movements of the room the blade cools slowly. Plate 24 (Fig. 1) is riveted to the bottom of bracket 6 and may be of a size to nearly close the bottom of the bell, isolating the internal parts from room air movements. In the other figures, gong 23 serves the same purpose. With such closure the interval between impulses may be lengthened to thirty seconds or longer.

In other applications where short intervals may be desired, the bell may be replaced by a receptacle with ventilated top and bottom, allowing the desired flow of air to.

2) of thinner metal than the main stem of the bracket, as

shown.

In Fig. 3 a solenoid coil 25 and plunger 26 are the impelling means, swinging clapper 13 on pivot 27, while blade 11 is the regulating means subject to the cooling of air in contact with it. Here conductor 9 is connected to the top of coil 25 and conductor 28 leads from the bottom of the coil to insulator 29 which supports conducting strip 30. Rivet 31 secures conductor 28 and strip to the insulator and makes electrical contact from conductor to strip.

Contact point 14 is mounted on blade 11 while point 15 is mounted at the top of strip 30. Upon cooling, blade 11 throws point 14 into contact With point 15, allowing current to flow by way of conductor 9 through coil 25, by conductor 28 and strip 30, across points and 15, through blade 11 and by way of the supporting bracket and bolt, as described with reference to Figs. 1 and 2. Thus plunger 26 ispulled into the coil, impelling the. clapper to strike the gong. The current heats blade 11' rapidly, it snaps back to the position shown and breaks contact of points 14 and 15, interrupting the current and allowing the clapper to fall back. Adjustment in this form is by bending the wire on which the clapper hangs so that the clapper shall just miss bearing on the gong when plunger 26 has reached the limit of its downward movement, as understood from the dotted lines in coil 25.

In Fig. 4 the bimetal blade 11 is again the clapper impelling means as in Figs. 1 and 2, but here the snap action for breaking the contact of points 14 and 15 is not in the blade. A miniature bar magnet 32 and yoke 33 provide the snap action. The magnet, indicated by dotted lines 32, is contained in a binder 34 which secures the magnet and all the related parts to the supporting bracket 6. Both bracket and binder are of brass or other nonmagnetic metal. Binder 34 has lugs turned outward to provide for pivot 35 as shown, by which the iron yoke 33 is loosely anchored at its top end while normally held at top and bottom in the grip of the magnet. Tie 36, which is of a suitable insulating material, normally holds blade 11 back in the position shown, with points 14 and 15 in contact so that current can flow by way of conductor 9, across points 14 and 15, through blade 11 and by way of bracket 6 and bolt 7. Blade 11 is mounted so as to flex outward upon heating and pulls with increasing force on yoke 33 until the grip of the magnet on the yoke is broken at the bottom end, allowing the blade to swing the clapper outward to strike the gong, breaking contact of points 14 and 15. Blade 11 now cools, allowing the yoke end to slowly approach the magnet end. On nearing the magnet, yoke 33 is suddenly seized and pulls blade 11 inward to the position shown, making contact of points 14 and 15. The length of conductor 9 here offers enough spring for yielding as the yoke pulls in the blade, after once adjusted. But first, adjustment of the clapper to avoid its bearing on the gong is made by bending the supporting part to which blade 11 is riveted.

In all the forms shown and described, the heating of blade 11 is by passing an electric current, through thesblade since this is the simplest structure and .the most direct means. But it is obvious that the blade may be heated by. any indirect means such as aheating coil surrounding or in proximity to the blade and this is, intended to be within the scope of the following claims. While the description has been confined to the ringing of bells by reason of the simplicity of this application, the invention is suited to other applications such as animating small figures, displaying cards, uncovering Words or phrases and thelike.

WhatI claim is:

1. An audible ornament for use in decorating holiday trees and thelike comprising a decoratively shaped body open at one end and having a throughopem'ng atits other end and also having a bell sounding element; a dual path current carrying membersecured in said through opening and providing respective pairs of interiorly and exteriorly related line contacts; a metallic support element extending interiorly of said hollow body from said other end generally towardsaid one end and mechanically and electrically connected tooneof said .pair of interiorly related line contactsto; provide a first portion of a line circuit extending inside of said hollow body; a second metallic element extending interiorly of said hollow body in spaced relation to said metallic support element and electrically connected to the other of said respective pairv of interiorly related line contacts to provide a secondportion of a line circuitinside of said hollow body; bimetallic circuit opening and closing means disposed interiorly of saidhollow body for alternately connecting and. disconnecting said line circuit portions and including bell clapper means normally biased to a non-ringing position and adapted, upon operation of said circuit opening and closing member from its related normal position, to forceably propel said clapper against said bell sounding element; and baffle means carried by said metallic support element in spaced relation to the wall of said hollow body, said pair of exteriorly related line contacts adapting said audible ornament for mechanical and electrical connection to the electrical leads of any suitable plug-in attachment cord.

2. The audible ornament of claim 9 wherein said bafile means provides peripheral edges which are bendable to vary the area of the free space at the open end thereby provided for a greater or lesser circulation of air in and out of said hollow body whereby the time interval of the circuit opening and closing means may be regulated.

3. The audible ornament of claim 2 wherein the battle means also forms the bell sounding element.

4-. The audible ornament of claim 1 wherein the hollow body is of metallic bell metal and the baffle means is a disk-like element secured at its center to said metallic support element.

5. The audible ornament of claim 2 wherein the bimetallic element is a generally U-shaped plate member having legs of differing length the free end of one of which is immovably secured to the metallic support element and the free end of the other of which carries a movable contact adapted upon cooling of the bimetallic element to electrically engage said second metallic element and com plete a circuit from one of said exteriorly related line connections to the other of said exteriorly related line connections through one current path of said dual path current carrying element, a portion at least of said metallic support element, said bimetallic element, said second metallic element and the other current path of said dual path current carrying element.

6. The audible ornament of claim 5 wherein the bell clapper means comprises a striker element secured to the joined ends of the legs of said bimetallic element.

7. The audible ornament of claim 2 wherein the bell clapper means comprises a substantially right angularly shaped bell crank pivotally mounted at the juncture of its two arms on said support element and carrying at the free end of one arm a striker element and having the free end of its other arm pivotally connected -to the plunger of a solenoid the coil of which forms a segment of said second portion of the line circuit extending inside of said hollow body.

8. The audible ornament of claim 2 wherein the bell clapper means comprises a bimetallic arm pivoted at one end to an extension arm of said support element and carrying at its other free end a striker element and a magnet secured to said support element at a point opposite an intermediate portion of said bimetallic arm to bias said bimetallic arm to a non-striking position under a predetermined force to close a circuit to said second portion of the line circuit extending inside of said hollow body through said bimetallic arm whereby heating of said bimetallic arm is effective to stress said bimetallic arm to overcome the magnetic force and propel said striker against said bell sounding element.

9. An audible ornament for use in decorating holiday trees and the like comprising a decoratively shaped body open at one end and having a through opening at its other end and also having a bell sounding element; a dual path current carrying member secured in said through opening and providing respective pairs of interiorly and exteriorly related line contacts; a first support element extending interiorly of said hollow body from said other end generally toward said one end; means carried by said support element and mechanically and electrically connected to one of said pair of interiorly related line contacts to provide a first portion of a line circuit extending inside of said hollow body; a second support element extending interiorly of said hollow body in spaced relation to said mechanically and electrically connected means and electrically connected to the other of said respective pair of interiorly related line contacts to provide a second portion of a line 5 circuit extending inside of said hollow body; bimetallic circuit opening and closing means disposed interiorly of said hollow body for alternately connecting and disconnecting said line circuit portions and including bell clapper means normally biased to a non-ringing position and adapted, upon operation of said circuit opening and closing means from its related normal position, to forceably propel said clapper against said bell sounding element; and baflie means carried by said first support element in spaced relation to the wall of said hollow body, said pair of exteriorly related line contacts adapting said audible ornament for mechanical and electrical connection to the electrical leads of any suitable plug-in attachment cord.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,909,140 Wermine May 16, 1933 2,141,775 Varley Dec. 27, 1938 2,470,047 Nicorvo May 10, 1949 2,600,070 Nicorvo June 10, 1952 2,663,013 Bronson Dec. 15, 1953 

